About
Writer
I’m the author of Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations. This humorous memoir is a lighthearted collection of childhood hijinks, wild adventures, and life lessons.
I also write a blog about learning for Northwest Educational Services.
And I’m the creator of Ngaej.com. Pronounced “engage,” Ngaej is Jenga, rearranged and reimagined.
Coach
As a habit coach, I help adults quit bad habits, establish healthy habits, and do the work to become extraordinary.
I also work with young adults on executive function, productivity, behavioral change, and ADHD management.
And I support students with all areas of academic growth through South Cove Tutoring.
College Success Expert
I’m also the creator of Smart College Habits, which combines academic and habit coaching to help students thrive in college.
Parent Coach
Each summer, I coteach a five-part course called “Parenting for Academic Success (and Parental Sanity).”
Why I Do This
I write and coach because I want to help people. Most people could live healthier, happier, more meaningful lives if they knew and practiced the self-improvement techniques that actually work.
My mission is to teach strategies and mindsets that ease the process of becoming better. There is no final destination on the path of self-improvement. We’re all works in progress, myself included.
This is also my way of making a contribution. The world has many problems that call out for solutions. But I’m not an environmental engineer, political activist, medical provider, or research scientist. My role is to help you give us your best. The world needs you to unleash your incredible human potential, and I want to help you do that.
My Self-Improvement Journey
Several years ago, I suffered a string of injuries that left me unable to continue my skier-bartender lifestyle. I couldn’t work on my feet and I could no longer enjoy my favorite activities – skiing, hiking, and climbing. The turmoil that followed revealed that I had a lot of issues. On the career front, I had no back-up plan, terrible work ethic, limited willpower, and difficulty focusing. And when all the fun things in my life got taken away, anxiety and depression suddenly took center stage.
I wasn’t taking good care of myself physically or psychologically, so my injuries weren’t healing and my mental health was deteriorating. And instead of facing my challenges head-on, I “dealt with them” by drinking and getting high, which only proved to myself that I wasn’t capable of dealing with them.
But, I didn’t give up.
I dove into the positive psychology literature, which promised to be a science-based antidote to the advice of overly optimistic self-help gurus. I read dozens of books, took courses, and made copious notes. But it didn’t help. Learning wasn’t enough. I had to actually do the work. So I began to study behavioral change strategies and put them into practice.
Then everything began to shift. I got very consistent about doing my physical therapy homework, and my body started to heal. I devoted myself to improved sleep and nutrition, and my mental health improved. I made a 100% commitment to being clean and sober for the rest of my life, and my depression evaporated. I made self-care a daily priority, starting each morning with exercise, wisdom, and meditation.
Photo by brook & bryn photography.
The Journey Continues
Through these practices, I began to develop healthy self-esteem and true confidence via self-efficacy.
I cultivated mindfulness and gratitude.
I created career opportunities for myself and became an entrepreneur.
I found a partner and became an uncle.
I can once again ski, hike, and climb, but my happiness isn’t dependent on those activities anymore.
And I’m still becoming better, one day – one choice – at a time.
Want More?
Good news!
You can read all about my life in my humorous memoir, Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations, available on Amazon and through most local bookstores.
This hilarious collection of short stories is light, easy reading that will have you laughing out loud, feeling nostalgic for your own childhood, and occasionally getting inspired to change your life for the better.
Here is just a sampling of the many 5-star reviews it has gotten:
“I laughed so hard I cried.”
“There are just so many crazy episodes and memorable images from this book that will really stick with me.”
“Chris’s memoir paints a colorful story of a free-thinking ’90s kid with a keen eye for shenanigans.”
“These hilarious short stories will have you turning the pages and laughing out loud, but Chris does a great job of interweaving actual life lessons without being preachy. I walked away with a smile on my face and a sense of gratitude to be alive and enjoy the wonder all around us.”
“Definitely worth reading more than once!”